Tales from the Redcliff Chronicles: Battle
by Partial Insanity
Summary: Sequel to Tales from the Redcliff Chronicles: Insanity. Rumors, distrust, battle. A time comes when one must cast aside the former two to win the latter. [Oneshot]


**Le Disclaimer**

* * *

It had been another long day. The Knights of Redcliff were hard pressed to defend the borders from the Korbloxian Hordes, and morale was low. Benzo, one of the three Commanders of Redcliff, sighed as he surveyed the Knights.

It was bad enough that the Korbloxians had gotten stronger and more vicious, but out of nowhere the Knights of the Seventh Sanctum had attacked, claiming to be the keepers of balance in the world.

That had been bad, but it wasn't the worst part. In the last several months, it seemed as if the Knights of the Seventh Sanctum attacks had decreased drastically, as though their numbers had been brutally reduced. Normally that would be a good thing, but the rumors going around claimed that one of the Redcliff Commanders were to blame!

'Dzień dobry, Benzo," a heavily accented voice cut through his musings like a blade, and he turned to see Rycerze, the new Redcliff Commander, walking towards him. Rycerze had come from a land far off with dreams of living up to his heritage as a knight, which was what his name was derived from.

Many of the Knights made fun of Rycerze for his heavy accent and way of pronouncing words, but it was all in good jest, and Rycerze took it well. Ben raised his hand in greeting and walked over to his fellow commander.

"What leads you to seek me out, good friend?" Ben asked.

"Mam problem," Rycerze said, speaking at first to his own foreign language, "It is about the issue with the Knights of the Seventh Sanctum. Normally I would feel relieved that they have been attacking us less and less, but the rumors I've heard about why have been troubling me greatly."

Benzo sighed and motioned for Rycerze to walk with him as he started towards the gardens where they could speak in peace, "I have been thinking the same thing. Normally I wouldn't bother with such trivial things such as rumors, but to hear about one of our own going and murdering them worries me. What's more is, he has been acting strangely ever since his patrol was ambushed by Seventh Sanctum months ago. Have you seen the bandages he now wears?"

Rycerze nodded, "Niestety, I have. I think we should speak with him about it, he should not carry any burdens alone, and we should get to the bottom of the matter immediately."

Ben begin to reply when a horn blast sounded through the air. The warning of an immediate attack. Both commanders took off to the castle to arm themselves, shouting orders to any knight they passed:

"Get all available knights suited up and ready for battle! I want everyone with a weapon in hand immediately!"

"Spójrz żyje!"

They both reached the armory and grabbed their swords, and made their way to the castle gates. There, surprisingly, was the third Commander, Siegfried, with what appeared to be a new sword in hand. It was curved, unlike the standard Redcliff sword, and their symbol, one which stood for hope and peace, was its hilt. He turned to them, his breath rasping through the bandages and open helmet he wore, and spoke.

"Looks like the Korbloxians have finally decided to attack us directly. Excellent, I wanted to try out this new blade."

Benzo put his hand on Siegfried's shoulder and stopped him from walking off, "Sieg, we need to speak, immediately," the other commander turned to him, his orange eye showing through a slit in the bandages, "If it isn't life threatening or important, it can wait."

Benzo went to say something, but another horn blasted its voice through the air, and this one wasn't of Redcliff. Both men looked skyward and saw them descending; Skeleton Wraiths, the birds that the Korbloxians used to scout or attack.

Siegfried turned to the Knights, his voice, which had been but a mere growl moments ago, roaring out orders.

"Get those bows aimed at the sky! Fire your arrows, I want those wraiths brought down immediately!" the knights scrambled to do as they were ordered, and Siegfried turned to Ben.

"We'll discuss whatever you had in mind later. Now is the time to defend our land and people." Ben looked at his fellow commander for a a brief moment, and nodded. They both turned as Rycerze ran up, his bow in hand. If there was anyone in the kingdom who was a better shot than him, they had yet to meet them.

All three commanders took their positions in face of the oncoming onslaught, and prepared to fight for their lives. And then, there was no more time to think, as the Korbloxians charged the gate.

* * *

Every knight fought for all their worth, cutting down any Korbloxian that stood before them. One of the Enchanted Knights, Knot was savagely struck down by a Korbloxian Warrior's shield. Just as the beast was posed to finish the young knight off, a curved blade appeared through its belly, and slid upward with a mighty heave, leaving the corpse split halfway up. As the body fell, Knot looked up to see Siegfried standing there, his blade bloodied red. The orange eye looked down on him, and the commander held a hand out to the young knight.

Knot took it, an apology forming on his lips, but Siegfried simply handed him his spear and nodded, "Back into the fray with you, Knot."

Meanwhile Rycerze was battling several Ice Zombies, his mace bashing their heads in as though they were fruit. He turned in time to see a Deathspeaker cut down an Apprentice and turned to his friend next to him.

'You're going to die, Redcliff fool!" Rycerze ran and leaped through the air, spun around and bashed the Deathspeaker in the head, yelling as he did; "Nawet nie próbuj!"

The Deathspeaker stumbled and turned to Rycerze, snarling. Rycerze simply dropped his mace and drew his sword, motioning to the Deathspeaker.

"Mają na ciebie!"

The Deathspeaker charged the commander, and swung his blade at him. Rycerze blocked the swing with his shield, then bashed the Deathspeaker in the face with it. He then dropped down and swung at his foe's legs, cutting them off. As the Deathspeaker fell, Rycerze's sword flashed once more, and his foe's head rolled off into the grass.

A little ways off, Benzo stood by, panting. His foe was a Korbloxian Chosen, and he was skilled, far more skilled than Ben had ever seen. This fight was not going to be easy.

"Hello Benzo, I assume you still remember me?" Benzo glared at the Chosen, "Oh, I remember you. I'd never forget you. Still upset over losing your precious helm? It makes a grand trophy."

The Chosen snarled and swung his sword, forcing Ben to block it with his shield, "Upset? Oh no, I'm ENRAGED," the blows began raining down on the shield, forcing Ben to one knee, "You stole my life from me! I was mocked by my tribe, and my Deathspeaker told me I was not worthy of being a Chosen! I'll cut out your heart and present it to him once I'm finished with you! I'll give your entrails to my tribe to feast upon!"

Ben grunted, and lashed out with his leg, catching the Chosen in the knee, and there was a sharp snap as the bone broke and the Chosen stumbled down. Ben stood up heavily, and looked down at his enemy.

"As appealing as all that sounds, I'll have to pass. Need my heart and entrails to keep defending these lands you know!" Ben brought his foot down on the Chosen's sword and snapped it, leaving him weaponless.

"You've gotten more skilled since the last time we crossed blades, but it won't happen again. This will be our last battle." the Chosen sneered up at Ben, "Oh, you're right about that. It will be our last battle, but you're the one who will die!"

The Chosen reached up and over his back, as if to draw a sword there. Ben tensed and raised his shield, but the Chosen was waiting for that. With his other hand, he drew a dagger from his belt, and lunged forward, plunging it in Ben's foot. The commander yelled in agony, his sword dropping from his hand as he collapsed.

The Chosen laughed as he stood up, snapping the bones in his leg back into place. "You fought well, Redcliff filth, but ultimately I am stronger. Now, you die."

With those words, the Chosen reached over his back, and plunged his hand into the skin. With a inhuman scream, he ripped his spin out, it forming into a sword. Ben stared in horrid fascination at the blade as it dripped blood.

The Chosen raised it into the air in preparation to strike, and swung it downwards. Ben shut his eyes in expectation of feeling the blade slice through his head, when there was a sudden CLANK of metal. His eyes opened to see Siegfried standing there, the blade partially buried in the side of his helmet, his bandages torn.

The Chosen snarled and tore his blade free, destroying the helmet and shredding Siegfried's bandages, revealing his face. Ben heard a sharp gasp, and only later would he realize it was himself.

Siegfried's face was scarred beyond recognition, his eyes orange, with red filling where they were once white. His hair was now black, with streaks of red in it where the blood had stained. A fresh tear ran across his temple, where the Chosen's Spine Blade had ripped it. Even the Chosen was startled by Siegfried's face, and he stepped back slightly.

Ignoring him, Siegfried turned to Ben and crouched down, examining his foot. "This is going to hurt, so get ready." Ben stared at him, and suddenly yelled in pain as Siegfried gripped the dagger and ripped it out of his fellow commander's foot.

"Sieg, look out!" Ben managed to choke out as the Chosen swung his sword at Siegfried's head. The commander turned around and caught the blade in his gauntlet, glaring at the Chosen.

"So, you wanted to tear his heart out, and spill his innards?" his voice had fallen to a growl, and the Chosen began to truly know what fear was for the first time, as the commander's grip tightened on the sword so much that it shattered, leaving him without a blade.

"You know, that's a good idea. How about I practice it on you first?" before he could dodge, Siegfried plunged his sword into the Chosen's gut, and swung it to the side, cutting it clean open. The Chosen immediately tried to cover the wound with his hands, but Siegfried's blade flashed again, and the Chosen's arms up to his elbows were gone.

The grass was immediately reddened as the Chosen's body fell to the ground, his sightless eyes staring off into the distance.

Siegfried sighed, and turned to Ben. He held out his hand, and Ben grabbed it. His doubts about his fellow commander were gone, banished once he had witnessed his bravery and selflessness. Siegfried looked down at his ruined helmet and torn bandages, and shook his head.

"The others cannot see me like this." he said as he pulled his hood up over his face, shrouding it in shadow. Benzo nodded, and the two began to walk away, hearing Rycerze call to them, as the rest of the Korbloxians were picked off by the wave of Knights who had come to their aid from their patrols, led by the Legion Commander himself.

"Now, what was it you wanted to speak to me about?" Siegfried asked.

"Oh! Uhh, nothing, nothing at all!"

* * *

**Author's Notes:** _Eh._


End file.
